A Federal High Court in Kano, has sentenced Hauwa Ibrahim to jail for smuggling an undeclared sum of $1,154,900 and SDR135,900 Saudi Riyals, into Nigeria from Saudi Arabia.
Ibrahim was sentenced after she was arrested by the officers of the Nigeria Customs Service at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport for attempting to smuggle the foreign currency and handed over to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).
Following her arraignment by the EFCC, she was convicted on two-count charges of money laundering under Section 3(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
During her trial yesterday, which was presided by Justice S. M Shuaibu, Ibrahim pleaded guilty to both count charges when they were read to her.
In view of her plea, counsel to the prosecution, Musa Isah reviewed the facts of the case and tendered exhibits including the undeclared amount and subsequently prayed the court to convict her accordingly.
However, Justice Shuaibu allowed an allocutus which opportune Ibrahim to narrate her story before the court.
During the trial, the convict revealed that she was approached by a man named Nafiu in Saudi Arabia, who asked her to transport a box to Nigeria, claiming it contained dates and a small amount of cash.
Trusting Nafiu, she agreed to carry the box and was given a phone number of a woman who would collect it upon her arrival in Kano.
According to her, upon landing at Kano airport, she contacted the woman, who arrived and took possession of the box.
” However, after leaving the airport, I was recalled by the airport authorities to return with my international passport to clear the box as I was the one that brought it to Nigeria. Upon my arrival, I was arrested and was shown the contents of the box I flew in with,” she said.
After recounting her harrowing experience, Ibrahim implored the court to show leniency, explaining that she had no knowledge of the box’s contents and was misled by the sender, who had assured her it only contained dates and a small amount of money.
In view of her plea for mercy, Justice Shuaibu convicted the defendant as charged and ordered the forfeiture of the undeclared money to the Federal Government in line with Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022.
